Audi A7

The A7 was appealing with its beautiful design from the start, and Audi only made it better-looking with sharper lines and creases for its second generation. It was slightly bigger, growing less than an inch in length and wheelbase.

Under the sinewy hood, Audi installed a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 48-volt mild hybrid technology. It sent its power through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to all four wheels via Audi’s Quattro® all-wheel-drive system. Fuel economy improved to 25 mpg combined (22 city/29 highway).

A plug-in hybrid powertrain debuted for 2021. It used a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, an electric motor, and a 1.4-kWh battery that provided 24 miles of range.

Inside, the revised A7 got a new two-tier infotainment system with a 10.1-inch or an 8.6-inch touchscreen up top and an 8.6-inch touchscreen down below in addition to a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster Audi called the Virtual Cockpit.

The Audi A7 arrived as a stylish midsize hatchback based on the A6 for the 2012 model year. Initially, it seated four, but a middle rear seat was added for 2014 to expand seating to five. The hatchback body style was practical as it offered 24.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row despite a sleek coupe-inspired roofline. Folding the rear seats down gave it cargo space to rival small SUVs.

Initially, a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission was the only powertrain. Audi’s Quattro® all-wheel drive also came standard. For 2014, Audi added a 3.0-liter turbo diesel V6 that improved fuel economy. However, the diesel was caught up in the Dieselgate scandal that broke in 2015, and it was dropped during the 2016 model year. 

Inside, the A7 infotainment screen rose from the dash and tucked away when the car was switched off. It was controlled by a dial on the center console, as well as a track pad with handwriting recognition.